Chapter 400 Hurmot“s Offer
Jack, Eliza, Maura, and Lina were the final mbers of the party walking around the guild. They remained in the restricted area, quickly reaching their own large courtyard not too far from Eedaj’s.
Once they entered, Maura turned to Lina and asked, "Do you want to sleep with you tonight? Just in case you have another bad dream?"
"Yeah! I’d like that!" Lina grabbed Maura by the hand and led her away toward the private bathhouse. "Can you help scrub my back too?"
Maura laughed, acquiescing to whatever Lina asked. But before Maura disappeared with Lina, she winked to Eliza.
Red streaked across Eliza’s face again. Then, when she rembered what Dragas whispered to her, and beca as red as a tomato. She looked to Jack carefully though, not wanting to hide her embarrassnt from him.
Having noticed the wink, Jack sighed. He took Eliza by the hand and did his best to calm his beating heart.
Together, they entered their bedroom, just the two of them.
Jack sat on the bed beside his wife, trying to co up with what to say. And since Eliza was in the sa boat, it took them a minute to do anything apart from blush.
"Eliza..." Jack finally mustered the courage to speak up, caringly stroking Eliza’s cheek with his hand.
’Jack, are you back?’
Just as Jack was feeling more confident, Tralon’s urgent voice popped into his head.
Jack turned his head as he coughed to regain his composure in front of his blushing wife. "Just a mont, Eliza... Tralon’s calling and it seems important."
"O-of course!" Eliza chuckled nervously. "Then... I’ll be waiting here..."
"Right." Jack turned to face a wall, still sitting on the bed. That’s when he felt the need to look back to Eliza, who used her head to motion towards the door. Finally catching the hint, Jack rushed to his feet. "R-right..."
Jack nervously chuckled and left the room, letting Eliza breathe and take in the situation a bit better.
’What’s up, Tralon?’ Jack asked.
Glad to hear Jack’s response, Tralon replied, ’So you’re back? I found Bowzer in Dragov’s chamber so I assud so.’
’Yeah, I’m back. Is sothing the matter?’
’Co to your office,’ answered Tralon. ’Hurmot arrived this morning and has been waiting all day for your return. He refuses to leave until he ets with you personally.’
’I see... Then I’ll et you in my office. Give a few minutes," Jack stated, exiting the restricted area.
That’s when Jack noticed the uncommon amount of foot traffic within the guild. Though it was well past sunset, people were still coming in and out of the guild like it was day ti. Assuming it was due to the recent increase in the guild’s popularity, Jack shrugged and hurried to his office.
Jack knocked and entered the door, closing it behind him before looking to Hurmot sat on the side. Tralon sat on the opposite side of Hurmot, glad to have Jack back.
Assuming his comfortable seat behind his desk, Jack smiled at Hurmot. "So, Hurmot, it’s been a while. How have you been?"
"Jack... Why didn’t you tell you were the Legend of Trodar?!" Hurmot blurted out his questions, acting out of character. "I would’ve let you into the restricted storage and more should you have told . So why didn’t you tell ?!"
"Well... I didn’t plan to reveal myself so soon, otherwise, I might’ve considered telling you during our last conversation," admitted Jack. "But, there’s no changing the past. Now, what can I do for you?"
"Jack..." Hurmot took a mont to regather himself and return to his usual calm behavior. "Jack, I want to make the Celestial Crane a subordinate guild under the Leisure Guild."
"Whoa, that escalated quickly. Where did that co from all of a sudden?" asked Jack.
"Well, that’s what you wanted isn’t it?" reasoned Hurmot. "That way, we can help each other. My guild gains your protection and you’ll have enter the campaign for a council seat. Is that such a terrible exchange?"
"No, that’s a great thing. I just didn’t expect to reach that conclusion so quickly," Jack laughed briefly. "Then I take it you were surprised by what happened in Federal City?"
"Who wouldn’t be?" Hurmot asked that rhetorical question only to see Jack smiling back at him. "That, of course, doesn’t include you, the most accomplished hero of Ancient Kartonia. But either way, it was an eye-opening experience. It taught many things."
"Like what? Please, elaborate," asked Jack.
Hurmot nodded. "Well, mostly, it was a great lesson in humility. If I hadn’t ordered a retreat so hastily, then my guild would’ve likely fallen alongside Golden Haven. I didn’t know that the syndicate was so powerful. Nor did I know that the association was hiding its true strength from the world."
When Jack waved his hand for Hurmot to continue, Hurmot added, "With my strength, there’s no way for my guild to prosper as it has up till today. We all believed that we stood at the top. And, yes, we did understand that the association could overtake us should they desire, but we didn’t think they were strong enough to overtake all three auction guilds combined. That’s why I desire your protection, even at the cost of dabbling politics."
"Seems like you were definitely humbled," Jack chuckled. "Is there anything else you learned? Or maybe any conditions you have for before swearing fealty to the guild?"
"I now understand that there’s much more happening in this world behind the scenes than I had ever considered. And should I interpret your great reveal correctly, it’s the gods that are truly pulling the strings and not the syndicate nor the association," stated Hurmot.
"As for conditions... Can we also have storefront space like the Fat Goose?" Hurmot asked.
"Hmm... Do you want to be on the sa street or a different one?"
"The sa street would be fine," answered Hurmot. "That way we can attempt to create an auction district in the future."
Smiling, Jack replied, "I like the way you think. But I have a condition for you. I want to form a pact with you. That way you’re linked telepathically to and many others, like Tralon or Argyle. Also, you’ll beco stronger by gaining access to my passive skills, like boosted mana capacity or increased mana regeneration."
A brightness erged in Hurmot’s eyes as he smiled and asked, "Would that include your beast skill?"
"What do you an?"
"I’ve heard all about how you’ve grown a fla body like your fox," answered Hurmot. "Would that skill be included?"
"The skill would be, but not the fla body itself. That particular skill allows to access the bloodline of any beast companions with a mutual seal," explained Jack. "I can also grow wings like my Minokawa now."
"And the Celestial Cranes, do you still have them?" questioned Hurmot, getting more and more excited. "Can I make one of them my companion, so I can do the sa?"
"Sure, but there’s a catch," Jack added. "This pact will send fifty percent of the EXP you gain from now on."
"Deal!" shouted Hurmot. Seeing so shock in Jack’s face, Hurmot explained, "I’m an old man and I don’t need to spend all my days trying to level up. To give up the EXP from the few fights I get into nowadays, that’s a pittance compared to that beast skill."
"Then we have a deal."
They perford the pact on the spot, sealing their standing as subordinate and leader. And because of Hurmot’s impatience, Jack telepathically called Cerdot to the office. Once the cranes arrived, Hurmot was over the moon and begged Jack to perform the mutual seal on the spot, which Jack did.
However, Jack kept his pact with Cerdot. Even if he never had to use it, it offered Jack so powerful skills that he wanted for his transformations.
Jack allowed Tralon to handle the rest, taking his ti to return to Eliza at the courtyard, ignoring the traffic which Jack now understood as the survivors of the Celestial Crane Guild moving in.
Once he entered his courtyard and stood in front of his bedroom door, Jack hesitated.
Instead of entering, Jack shakingly lifted his hand lightly knocked on the door. He then softly added, "It’s ..."
"... Co in."
There was a pause before Jack entered the room, giving Jack a mont to prepare himself. When Jack entered, he was surprised to find it so dimly lit.
"I’m waiting..."
Hearing Eliza from the bed, Jack took one last deep breath. With the initial nerves gone after the couple’s earlier interruption and no need to say anything more, Jack locked the door and made his way to Eliza on the bed.
He sat down, finding her in lingerie.
Eliza was lying down on her side, looking away from Jack. She then pointed to the side table where two glasses sat, one empty and one full. "I’ve already had mine... You took so long..."
Feeling bad, Jack downed the full glass in one gulp.
Suddenly, Jack’s entire body felt warr. He felt himself beco entranced by Eliza, unable to look away.
"What... What was that?"
Eliza finally turned to Jack, letting him notice the red in her cheeks and the few beads of sweat on her body. "M-My mother gave it to ... It’s to help..."
Neither of them could wait any longer.
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